LTGD 3

[Grimbold]

The two other prisoners keep silent, fear in their eyes.

The four prisoners are pulled out of the tent and now they can see the camp better. It is afternoon (they had been captured during tha last night). The tribe has tents of different sizes and they have been put up in a kind of small valley dotted with rocks and trees. There are about forty tents and several hundred men, women and children. Smoke is coming from openings in most of the tents as the Rathgar are cooking food or just heating their dwellings.
The tents are made of animal hides built over a strong scaffold of pine sticks. Women are preparing the deer, rabbits and other animals that the hunters brought back with them. The prisoners can even smell some meat roasting on fires. Between the tents there are some simple sleds and lots of shaggy dogs roam around between the tents, some freely, some are tied to poles driven into the frozen earth. A group of children is playing and as they see the prisoners, carried out by two trobesmen each, they start throwing snowballs at the four men, screaming and yelling in delight.

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Right now, only the prisoner's hands are tied behind their backs, their legs are unbound so they can walk. Any questions?

[pennylane]

The afternoon sun is blinding after the darkness of the tent. Wulf smells food cooking and for the first time becomes aware of how hungry he is. If only we'd had a little more time, I know I could have gotten that knife out! But then where would we be, we're so outnumbered... He looks around, the situation seems hopeless. As if the gods had not beat him down enough, they are then pelted with freezing snow by mere children. The humiliation is hard to stand, but Wulf refuses to let them see him falter. He stands tall and bears their attack without flinching.

[Grimbold]

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Will be away next week but I am sure to continue next weekend! I hope you are enjoying this and if you have any questions, just ask.

I think your posts are great - keep up the good work!

[QuixoticNeurotic]

Crap. I'm cold and I'm hungry and these little kids are driving me nuts. There has got to be some way out of this...

Bjorn looks about himself anxiously, hoping to catch sight of something or possibly someone who could aid he and his brother in this grim situation. Angry when he can't seem to come up with anything, he kicks at the ground at his feet.

[Grimbold]

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They are all brought to a central meeting area where many folks have gathered to witness the trial (and punishment) of the prisoners.

The Rathgar Chieftain, Ulberth, stands in the center of the attention. He is a tall man of sixty winters with grey hair. He still seems physically very fit and he is strong and tall. On his belt, he wears his famed axe Tree-Splitter and he looks at the prisoners sternly. Like everyone else, he is dressed in animal hides but the quality show his high status.

Next to him, an even older man is standing, tall but slender, the shaman. Gwynnfrymm is almost ninety years old but he looks at the prisoners with piercing eyes full of clever wit. He is carrying his spear, Itrurin, its metal head is still sharp and has the form of an eagle.

The shaman starts a slow, monotonous singing and dances around the fire. After a while, he stomps his spear on the ground and takes out his dagger. He brings the dagger down on a tree stump and with this, judgement has been passed on two of the prisoners.

The Rathgar warriors pick up the Fromgard tribesmen, stand them up against some rocks and, while the shaman is chanting loudly, cut their throats. Their bodies slump to the ground.

The Sigurdsons are then thrown before the Chieftain and the old warrior speaks: "You two are no Fromgards, like those" he points to the two bloody corpses, "but say, why should we not sacrifice you to the gods as well?"

[Grimbold]

Welcome

Welcome Muskrat as Bjorn! Ask me anything you need to know. Wulf will be NPCd.

[Muskrat]

Bjorn cringes inwardly at the cold-blooded killing of the two Fromgard men. They may have been greedy, but they hardly deserve such a fate. A blood feud is one thing, but this killing lacks all honor. Bjorn realizes, however, that there is little he could do to remedy the situation and that he may be hard-pressed to save his own and Wulf's skin.

Bjorn speaks firmly to Ulberth, a touch of defiance in his voice, though he's trying to sound respectful. "You already have one blood feud on your hands. If you kill my brother and me, then you will have a blood feud with the Sigurdson tribe as well. I have no doubt that the men of your tribe are mighty warriors, but that may still be more than you want. On the other hand, if you contact our tribe, they will be willing to pay you a generous ransom for our safety and freedom."

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I don't suppose I can make a diplomacy check here?

[Grimbold]

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Diplomacy r9+2=11.

Ulberth seems to consider this a bit but then he shares a glance with the shaman and says: "Our gods will give us great ransom for these sacrifices here. I am sure they will also favour us with their blessing when we kill you. We are not afraid of your puny tribe. Have them come all here and the gods will feast on their blood." Some of the men around seem undecided about such cruelty and frown.

Ulberth's face is hard and stern. "Kill them". He motions for the shaman to plunge the Dagger of Blood into the ground to validate his judgment. Just then, one of the warriors steps forward and holds the shaman's arm.
His deep clear voice sounds over the area and he proceeds to talk about Ulberth's rule over the tribe and focuses on his many wrong and cruel decisions and diplomatic blunders that resulted in bloodshed. He calls the prisoners "innocent trappers".

Ulberth starts yelling wildly and urges the shaman to strike the Dagger of Blood into ground to seal the prisoner's fate. The old shaman is listening intently though and does not say anything.

The men and women start to talk among themselves and soon there seem to be two groups: A group of old warriors and women want to stick to Ulberth's decision as he is the chieftain and must be respected. The second group, mostly the younger warriors want to listen to Jarle, the warrior that challenged the old chieftain.

Just before they start brawling, the shaman raises his voice: "It should not be us to decide who is right and wrong. Let the gods decide. These two" he points to the two prisoners "have already chosen their fate themselves. Let there be a contest. If they win, they shall be freed and can travel where they like. Should they lose, they will be sacrificed to the gods. Thus I have spoken."

The people gathered agree.

"The contest will begin tomorrow, when the sun rises."

Ulberth and Jarle are still standing at the fire, facing each other and staring grimly into the other's eyes, not wanting to back down.

[Muskrat]

Bjorn at first is dumbfounded--he doesn't know quite what to make of this development, though he supposes it is good. He just wishes he knew what manner of contest the shaman has in mind. Given the tension among the tribespeople, this doesn't seem like a good moment to raise the question though.

Bjorn waits to see what happens. If Jarle and Ulberth just stand there glaring at each other and things stay quiet, he keeps his mouth shut.

If there's a commotion--people arguing and it looks like a fight might break out--and no one seems to be paying too much attention to him and Wulf, he leans over and whispers to his brother: "It looks like a fight might break out. If it does, we might be able to slip away unnoticed and untie each others' arms in the woods. If we're caught though, they'll certainly kill us. If they do fight, I think we should wait till we can see who's likely to win. If it's Jarle, we should stay put--he seems inclined to show us mercy. If it's Ulberth, we should try to get away, since we'll be dead anyway."

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Is it all right to do something like this--If A happens, I do B; if C happens, I do D--in a PBP forum? If we were face to face, I'd just wait for you to tell me what happens or ask before doing anything, but doing it this way seems more efficient.)

[Grimbold]

IF-posts

Yeah, If/Or/Then/Else posts are great, it speeds up the game. Look here for more information on PbP:
http://brennor.dyndns.org/rpg/Forums/vi ... =3329.html

There you will find this tip:
"5) Use If/Then/Else posts. Don't wait for the GM to tell you something... he might be on when you're not. Post something. "If Diana looks like she can take the dragon alone, Jack just sits there. Otherwise, Jack pulls out his BFG-9000s""

Most of the warriors seem to be happy with the decision and are actually looking forward to the contest. The brothers are taken back to their tent and tied. They fall into uneasy sleep.

GM

Just moving things along quickly - sometimes this saves time in PbP and lets us get right to the action.

Early in the morning they are taken out by a young woman. The sun is beginning to rise and they can see a pair of dogsleds and two teams of dogs. The shaman explains the rules of the contest. It will be a dogsled race!

Sleds

The Environment

"In a clearing near here, we have put up a pole and on this pole there is a leather sack full of mead." He sticks his spear into the earth. "Whoever brings it here to this place first, shall be the winner. If the prisoners win, they will be spared and can go free. If our champion wins, they will be sacrificed to the gods as our custom prescribes. One of you will drive the sled while the other stays here as a hostage.
You will have no equipment but a dagger and the sleighs with the dogs. One warrior per sled. There are no other rules."

Just then, the Rathgar champion steps up: It is none other than Ulberth himself! He starts getting his sled and team ready, while the shaman explains to the prisoners where the clearing exactly is.